Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:5 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the progress to date of the strategic management initiative within his Department. [16645/01]
Ceisteanna–Questions. - Strategic Management Initiative.
Michael Noonan
Ceist:6 Mr. Noonan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation within his Department of the strategic management initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17709/01]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.
Work is under way on the production of the new strategy statement for the period 2001-2004. The divisional business planning process is embedded within the overall management process of the Department and links are being developed with individual staff objectives as the new performance management and development system – PMDS – is implemented. Performance indicators for the modernisation programme have been drawn up and forwarded to the Civil Service quality assurance group for consideration.
The roll-out of the performance management development system is now fully under way in my Department. The focus during 2000 was on communication and training. All staff attended a PMDS presentation as well as comprehensive training courses.
A new customer action plan for 2001-04 has been published on my Department's website. Customer surveys were carried out in June 2000 and in March 2001 and the results have informed the new action plan.
My Department has been involved in providing central co-ordination and impetus to the information society and e-public service agenda. Internally, it has prepared its e-strategy and is engaged in a number of eGovernment projects, notably the eCabinet project and the upgrading of the website.
Work is under way on a number of human resource management initiatives, including the reorientation of the human resource function, the upgrading of training facilities and the development of a training and development strategy and the formulation of an equality policy.
My Department is among the leading Departments in implementing the new management information framework. Phase 1 of the project – the formulation of a comprehensive implementation strategy – was completed in March 2000. Additional resources, including a professional accountant, were assigned in October 2000. Phase 2 of the project is now under way with the objec tive of selecting a new financial management computer system by October 2001 and implementing the new system by June 2002, after the euro changeover. The approach used by my Department has since been adopted as a model by a number of other Departments.
Are issues which arise from the difficulty of recruiting and retaining key staff in Departments, particularly the Taoiseach's Department, being considered in the context of the strategic management initiative?
That is not being considered under the SMI. However, it is being considered within the revamped Office of the Civil Service and Local Government Appointments Commissioner, under the chairmanship of the former Government Secretary. A number of new initiatives have been introduced and progress has been handled with some considerable success in the past six months.